The invention relates to a device for motor vehicles which is used to warn against the use of data glasses in the vehicle.
Nowadays, data glasses, also referred to as “smart glasses” or “head-mounted displays”, which data glasses include a display, are known. Data glasses are worn on the head by a user in a manner similar to conventional glasses, which are used as a visual aid. The display of the data glasses is located in the field of view of the wearer. Some data glasses have a display for only one eye, other data glasses have two partial displays, wherein each eye is assigned a partial display.
Furthermore, it is known that data glasses can have a semitransparent display. Such a display makes it possible for the wearer to detect both displayed information and also the environment behind the display. This type of display is particularly well suited to the representation of information in a manner similar to analog contact. Data glasses, the display of which is not located in the central field of view of the wearer, have been disclosed.
Frequently, data glasses have transmitting and receiving units for wire-free data transmission. Typically, these are components for the use of WLAN (sometimes also called Wi-Fi), Bluetooth or components according to one or more of the mobile radio standards 3GPP, LTE or subsequent standards.
Irrespective of whether the display of data glasses is or is not arranged in the central field of view, the depictions on the display of the data glasses potentially constitute a diversion from other activities. This is true in particular when the wearer of the data glasses is guiding a vehicle as a driver. Here, as a result of communications or graphics which pop up unexpectedly, the attention of the driver can be diverted from his driving task, which threatens traffic safety.
In the case of a display of data glasses which is located in the central field of view of the driver, it is even possible for the view of the driver of the traffic situation to be hampered by depictions from the data glasses. This likewise threatens traffic safety.
In order to warn the driver of a vehicle against the risks of wearing data glasses, it is contemplated to apply stickers in the vehicle which warn against these risks. However, the spread of data glasses amongst the drivers of motor vehicles is currently still relatively low, so that the warning would be irrelevant to most drivers and would represent a source of visual interference.
The object on which the invention is based is thus to warn against the use of data glasses only when there is actually the danger that the driver of a vehicle could be wearing data glasses.
This and other objects are achieved by a device for a vehicle, a method of operating the device, and a correspondingly equipped vehicle, according to embodiments of the invention.
In one aspect, a device for a vehicle includes: a transmitting and receiving unit for wire-free data transmission; an electronic computing unit, which is operatively coupled to the transmitting and receiving unit; wherein the device is configured as follows: with the aid of the transmitting and receiving unit, receiving radio signals from the data glasses from which no signals had previously been received; detecting the fact that the data glasses are in use relative to the vehicle, including: detecting a temporal relationship between an operation of the vehicle and the reception of radio signals from the data glasses, wherein the operation of the vehicle includes in particular the unlocking of the vehicle, the movement of windows of the vehicle, the opening of a door of the vehicle or the actuation of operating elements of the vehicle; in response to the recognition of the reference: executing a predetermined function. Optionally, the method can also explicitly comprise the detection that these are radio signals from data glasses. The transmitting and receiving unit can be a WLAN module, in particular a hotspot, a Bluetooth module or a station for mobile data transmission in accordance with the 3GPP, LTE or subsequent standards. The data glasses have corresponding devices for wire-free data transmission.
It is thus made possible to warn the driver of a vehicle against the danger of using the data glasses only when data glasses could actually be used. The identification of situations in which data glasses could be used in the vehicle is done via the temporal relationship between an operation of the vehicle and the reception of signals from the data glasses for the first time or after a reception of said signals occurring again after a non-reception. If both events occur simultaneously or one after the other after an acceptable time offset (smaller than a threshold value, for example 10 seconds or 2 min), then there is a high probability that the data glasses are being worn by the driver or another passenger in the vehicle and are brought into the vicinity of the vehicle in such a way that a radio link can be made. In such a situation, the output of a warning message for example would be appropriate. Such an output of a warning message is an example of a function. If, on the other hand, it cannot be assumed that there is any indication that data glasses are brought into the vehicle, the output of a warning message then also appears to be unnecessary and would disturb the driver.
In a particular development, the reception of radio signals comprises: detecting information in the radio signals which indicates that the radio signals originate from data glasses; wherein the information in the radio signals corresponds in particular to a radio protocol.
The detection or determination that the radio signals are radio signals from data glasses can be done by using an address (for example an MAC address of a WLAN unit) of the transmitting and receiving unit of the data glasses, and allocating the address to a product or manufacturer or to a device class by using a list which provides a link between addresses and products, manufacturers or device classes. By using information relating to the device class, which is provided in the transmission protocol used, or which is communicated by the data glasses in response to a request from the device according to the invention, provision can also be made to make the determination that data glasses are involved.
In a preferred development, the detection that the data glasses are in proximity to the vehicle comprises: determining the distance and/or position of the data glasses in relation to the vehicle with the aid of the signal strength of the radio signals by the transmitting and receiving unit; wherein the transmitting and receiving unit in particular comprises a plurality of antennas at different positions, with the aid of which the signal strength and/or the direction of origin of the radio signals can be determined. Thus, location or only a determination of distance by using the signal strength of the data glasses is proposed. This information is taken into account in order to detect the proximity of the data glasses to the vehicle. If appropriate, it is also possible to detect the direction in which the data glasses move, whether they move toward the vehicle or away from the vehicle. These are further indications that the driver of the vehicle is wearing the data glasses.
In a further development, the function includes: causing the output of a message by an output device, in particular by a display and/or loudspeaker; receiving information via an input by a user into an input device; receiving an input as a response to the message; checking whether the input satisfies a predetermined condition; as long as the input does not satisfy the predetermined condition: preventing a further function, in particular preventing specific types of data transmissions from the vehicle to the data glasses or preventing the starting of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. If, therefore, it has been established that the user is bringing data glasses into the vehicle, the user can be given a warning message and the driver can be requested not to use the data glasses. This warning message can accompany a request in which the driver confirms that he will not wear the data glasses. Only then is it possible, for example, to authorize the transmission of entertainment data such as videos or news services from the Internet by the transmitting and receiving unit of the device according to the invention which is installed in the vehicle. This is intended to prevent the driver from wearing the data glasses while, at the same time, permitting the use of the data glasses by other passengers in the vehicle. Provision can likewise be made to make the starting of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle dependent on the confirmation that the driver is not wearing the data glasses.
In a preferred development, the input includes bringing the data glasses into the transmission range of a close-range communication device, sometimes also called near-field communication or NFC. In this case, the data glasses have a module for NFC communication with a corresponding mating element (an NFC chip) in the vehicle. Communication between the two NFC modules takes place only when the NFC chip of the data glasses is sufficiently close to the NFC module of the vehicle, for example closer than 10 cm. It is then possible to arrange the NFC chip of the vehicle at a point in the vehicle interior which can be reached (comfortably) only from the seats for passengers and not from the driver's seat. As a result of bringing the data glasses close to the NFC chip of the vehicle, it is confirmed that the data glasses are being used by a passenger and the data transmission from entertainment data to these data glasses can be enabled.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.